The Stable Boy
The Stable Boy Episode Number: Season 1, Episode 18 Directed By: Dean White Air Date: April 1, 2012 Previous Episode: Hat Trick Next Episode The Return "The Stable Boy" is the 18th episode of the American fairy tale/drama television series Once Upon a Time, which aired in the United States on ABC on April 1, 2012. The series takes place in the fictional seaside town of Storybrooke, Maine, in which the residents are actually characters from various fairy tales that were transported to the "real world" town by a powerful curse. In this episode, Emma looks for evidence to prove that Regina framed Mary Margaret. In flashbacks, Regina must make a decision for her future: either marry Snow's father or be with her crush. It was co-written by Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis, while Dean White served as director. Plot 'Opening Sequence' A young Regina riding on a horse through the forest. 'In the Character's Past' In the Enchanted Forest, a young Regina rides her horse as her father watches. However, her mother, Cora, approaches and scolds her. Daniel, the stable boy offers Regina a saddle, but Regina says she’s done riding for the day and begins to stomp away only for Cora to drag her back with magic. An angry Regina tells her to stop using her magic to control her. With that, Regina promises to be good. Later that evening, Regina meets up with Daniel and kisses him. The next day, Daniel tells Regina to tell her parents about their love. Regina explains to Daniel that she is afraid of her mother’s magic, although Daniel counters that the magic of true love is more powerful. Meanwhile, a young Snow White loses control of her horse nearby, prompting Regina to save her. Later on, Cora changes Regina into a ball gown using magic and explains that King Leopold is coming to thank her for rescuing Snow White. King Leopold comes in and asks Regina for her hand in marriage as she is the first person to have taken an interest in Snow. Later that night, Regina asks Daniel for his hand in marriage, explaining her situation in the process, as well as suggesting that the only way out is to run. Suddenly, Snow White walks into the stable to witness the pair kissing before running away. Regina manages to catch up to Snow after she trips and falls. When Snow asks why she was kissing Daniel, Regina explains that she loves Daniel and not her father and explains that true love is the most powerful type of magic. Snow smiles after the explanation but Regina makes her promise to keep this secret, to which Snow agrees. The next day, Snow White is looking at the flowers and reaches up to grab one when Cora comes in and tells her to be gentle. As the two talk, Cora tells Snow White not to fear her, then asks the little girl why Regina has pulled away from her. Snow tells her to not make Regina get married if she wants her to be happy, and that she doesn't love her father. Not wanting Regina to lose her mother like she had, Snow tells Cora about Daniel. That night, Regina runs into the stable where Daniel is ready to go to make their getaway. They embrace just before Cora arrives and locks the stable. Cora says she will not stop her and Regina hugs her with thanks, then takes Daniel aside and rips his heart out and crushes it. Regina falls to his side and asks her mother why she has done this, to which Cora tells her that it was because it was her happy ending. After Regina yells and screams of how she loved Daniel, Cora explains that love is weakness. As Regina is being fitted for her wedding dress, Snow White walks in and tells her that she is the fairest of them all. Snow tells Regina about how she told her mother about Daniel. As Regina listens in horror, she turns and Snow notices how upset she is and she apologizes. Snow White asks Regina if she was mad, but Regina pretends to be happy and tells her no stating that she's happy that they're both going to be a family. But after Snow White leaves, Regina's behavior starts to change. Cora walks into the room, while Regina guesses that Cora was the cause of Snow's wild horse. Regina then tells Cora that she should have let Snow White die on her horse. 'Storybrooke' Following Kathryn's disappearance and suspected murder, Mr. Gold and Regina plot to frame Mary Margaret for the crime. While Regina plays with the ring Daniel gave her while staring out the window, Mr. Gold asks her for a favor in getting some serious charges against him dropped, and in return he offers her an idea on how to inflict pain upon Mary Margaret. It also turns out that Mr. Gold and Regina know what happens to people when they try to leave town. When Regina asks how she can trust him, Mr. Gold truthfully responds that he always honors his agreements. Elsewhere, Emma Swan comes out of the diner as David catches up with her where he tries to apologize for saying that Mary Margret was guilty, but Emma informs him that she needs a miracle. Back in the sheriff's office, Mary Margaret is woken by Regina, who offers her a chance to confess, but Mary Margaret stands by her innocence. Regina tells her that confession or not, she is leaving Storybrooke. Later that morning, Emma, Mr. Gold, and Mary Margaret talk about the upcoming case, where Mr. Gold suggest using their most valuable asset, Mary Margaret herself. Sidney then arrives to say that he can’t find anything on Regina. Mary Margaret says she will talk to the district attorney, knowing she has nothing to hide. Unfortunately, Regina shows up with Albert Spencer, the DA. He then badgers Mary Margaret during questioning. Not pleased with Spencer's hostility, Mr. Gold ends the questioning early. Hours later, Emma studies the book as August approaches her. Emma explains that she is struggling to prove Mary Margret's innocence, to which he suggests re-looking over what she has already done, causing Emma to re-evaluate the crime scenes. Emma finds a shard of shovel in the ground where the box containing Kathryn's heart was found. Henry radios Emma via a walkie-talkie, explaining that Regina is in the shower and the key is under the mat. Emma and August search the garage and discover a broken shovel, revealing that Regina buried the box. Emma later returns with a search warrant to find that the shovel had been replaced. Emma then accuses August of telling Regina before walking away. Back in the Sheriff's office, Mary Margaret cries in her cell when Regina comes in to gloat causing Mary Margaret to apologize for anything she did wrong, however Regina tells her she deserves this. Emma later talks to Mr. Gold, who tells her that there is still time for him to work a little magic. In frustration, Emma smashes the vase with the tulips that Sidney brought in, discovering a bug inside and realizes that Sidney was working with Regina. As August comes out of the diner, Emma approaches and apologizes for doubting him and shows him the bug when Ruby screams out after finding Kathryn who is alive. Cast Starring *Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White/Mary Margaret Blanchard *Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan *Lana Parrilla as The Evil Queen/Regina Mills *Josh Dallas as Prince Charming/David Nolan/Prince James *Eion Bailey as Pinocchio/August Booth *Jared S. Gilmore as Henry Mills *Raphael Sbarge as Jiminy Cricket/Archie Hopper *Robert Carlyle as Rumplestiltskin/Mr. Gold Guest Starring *Giancarlo Esposito as The Genie/Magic Mirror/Sidney Glass *Barbara Hershey as The Queen of Hearts/Cora *Tony Perez as Prince Henry *Anastasia Griffith as Princess Abigail *Meghan Ory as Red Riding Hood/Ruby *Noah Bean as Daniel *Alan Dale as King George/Albert Spencer *Richard Schiff as King Leopold *Bailee Madison as Young Snow White Trivia Production Notes= *The title card features a young woman (either Snow White or Queen Regina) riding a horse. *The title of this episode was leaked via casting calls on January 26, 2012. *During the filming of the opening scene with Regina and Mr. Gold, Robert Carlyle was hesitant about throwing the apple at Lana Parrilla because he was afraid that someone would get hurt, but Lana Parrilla pointed out that her father was a professional baseball player, and assured him that she could catch it. *Bailee Madison wore green contact lenses for the role as young Snow White, since her eyes are naturally brown. *During the filming of this episode, Bailee Madison had a loose tooth which had to be glued back into her mouth. *The computer-generated imagery model created for the interior of Royal Manor is recycled for the digital set of Snow White's Summer Palace in "The New Neverland", and the Royal Castle dining hall in "A Bitter Draught". For example, the archways and some of the windows, even the flowers on the window sill, have a very similar design. The manor and the Royal Castle dining hall even have the same horse tapestries. *Regina grabbing Mary Margaret's face through the cell bars, was Lana Parilla's idea. *During the shooting of the scene where Cora kills Daniel, when Lana Parilla screamed "no", Jerry the horse, who plays Rocinante, would constantly make sounds and kick the door in his stall, and had to be walked out. |-|Goofs= *In the stables, Regina's hands are touching the sides of Daniel's face and he pulls them down. As the camera pans for a close-up of her face when Daniel says, "Then if I am to marry you", her hands are once again back on his face. Then, the camera angle changes to show a side view of both of them with Regina's hands held by Daniel again. *At the dock, Emma reads the latest edition of the Daily Mirror with an article detailing Mary Margaret's involvement in Kathryn's disappearance. Kathryn's name is misspelled "Katherine" in the article. *As Emma runs through the alleyway to investigate, the back camera view shows she is wearing bright red gloves. When the camera angle switches to the front after Emma reaches past the alley, her gloves are gone. |-|Other Notes= FILMING LOCATIONS *The scene at the hill with Regina and Daniel was filmed in Aldergrove, British Columbia.